Carrying her employer’s infant in her arms, Filipino domestic helper Nerissa Catabay sprinted down 23 smoke-filled floors of Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, livestreaming her escape and shouting for others to flee as the deadly fire raged above her.
Catabay, who has worked for the family for about six months, described the ordeal as nothing short of “hell.”
Speaking to reporters, she said she heard screams echoing through the building before opening her door and seeing flames engulfing another block, driven by fierce winds.
Alone with the baby on the 23rd floor, she made a split-second decision to abandon everything and run. “I just grabbed the baby and go. I didn't even lock anything, I didn’t lock the window. Just to run away and escape from the building,” she said.
With fire alarms silent, elevators out of service, and thick smoke filling the stairwell, she focused only on getting the infant to safety.
“When I reached the 11th floor, I was shaking and felt like I was going to faint due to the fear,” she said.
It was then that she began livestreaming the escape, shouting “Fire! Fire! Get out fast!” into her phone in an urgent attempt to warn other residents and helpers who might not yet have realized the danger—all while holding tightly to the baby.
Haunted, yet grateful
“It was very terrible… like hell,” she said, breaking down as she described the trauma. She admitted she has struggled to sleep since the incident.
Still, she said she remains grateful they survived. “Thank God for protecting us,” she said. “He helped me even when I felt I was suffocating inside.”
All of Catabay’s belongings, as well as those of her employers, were destroyed in the blaze. The family is now staying with relatives.
Online applause for heroic act
Catabay’s courage has drawn widespread praise online, with many calling her “the brightest light amidst the fire.” Commenters lauded her physical strength in carrying the baby down 23 floors and her quick thinking in broadcasting warnings to others.
“The family is blessed to have her, she truly deserves lifetime employment,” one wrote.
